EY

K
R
E
W
S
N
A
WITH

D
N
A
T
S
R
I
F
FOR
OLS
O
H
C
S
R
O
F
FIRST

Self-study edition
Helen Chilton, Sheila Dignen,
Mark Fountain and Frances Treloar

english.us.org

CONTENTS
Map of the book

4

How to use the Exam Booster

6

Exam overview

8

The Cambridge Scale of English

10

Worksheets
Reading and Use of English Part 1

12

Reading and Use of English Part 2

18

Reading and Use of English Part 3

24

Reading and Use of English Part 4

30

Reading and Use of English Part 5

36

Reading and Use of English Part 6

42

Reading and Use of English Part 7

48

Writing Part 1

54

Writing Part 2

60

Listening Part 1

72

Listening Part 2

78

Listening Part 3

84

Listening Part 4

90

Speaking Part 1

96

Speaking Part 2

102

Speaking Parts 3 and 4

108


Think
about it

114

Answer
key
122

CONTENTS

3

english.us.org

MAP OF THE BOOK
Paper 1: Reading Worksheet 1
and Use of English
1 hour 15 minutes

Worksheet 2

Worksheet 3

Hobbies and leisure
Adjectives + preposition
Hobbies and leisure
vocabulary

Travel and holidays
Prepositions of location
and movement
Commonly confused words

Sport
Verb + noun collocations
-ing and to + infinitive

Part 2 p18
Open cloze
8 questions / 8 marks

Health and fitness
Articles, quantifiers
and determiners
Relative clauses and
relative pronouns

Education and study
Linking expressions
Verb + noun collocations

Family and friends
Personal, possessive
and reflexive pronouns
Phrasal verbs

Part 3 p24
Word formation
8 questions / 8 marks

Science and
technology
Word formation:
adjective suffixes
Word families

Food and drink
Word formation:
noun suffixes
Spelling

The natural world
Word formation:
negative prefixes
Spelling

Travel and holidays
Present forms
Comparison

Daily life
Reported speech
Reported questions

Weather
Phrasal verbs
Conditionals with if
and unless

Science and
technology
Technology vocabulary

House and home
Future forms

Work
wish, hope and if only

The natural world
Modals: obligation,
permission and
prohibition

Health and fitness
Health and fitness vocabulary
Modals: obligation,
permission and prohibition

Education and study
Education and study
vocabulary
Modals: possibility
and certainty

Cultures and customs
The passive

Entertainment and media
have / get something done

The environment
The passive with
reporting verbs

Worksheet 2

Worksheet 3

Health and fitness
Comparing and contrasting
opinions
Linking words: contrast

The environment
Environmental issues
vocabulary
Writing concluding
paragraphs

Part 1 p12
4-option multiple-choice
cloze
8 questions / 8 marks

Part 4 p30
Key word transformation
6 questions / 12 marks

Part 5 p36
4-option multiple choice
6 questions / 12 marks

Part 6 p42
Gapped text
6 questions / 12 marks

Part 7 p48
Multiple matching
10 questions / 10 marks

Paper 2: Writing
Worksheet 1
1 hour 20 minutes
Part 1 p54
Writing an essay
1 question / 20 marks

4

MAP OF THE BOOK

Hobbies and leisure
Expressing opinions
Linking words: cohesion

© Cambridge University Press and UCLES 2017

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Worksheet 1

Worksheet 2

Worksheet 3

Travel and holidays
Travel and holidays
vocabulary
Linking words: narration

Cultures and customs
Giving advice and making
suggestions
Informal language

Education and work
Education vocabulary
Relative clauses and relative
pronouns

Worksheet 4

Worksheet 5

Worksheet 6

Shopping and fashion
Adjectives: opinions
Making
recommendations

Places and buildings
Making suggestions and
recommendations for change
Punctuation

Family and friends
Narrative tenses
Descriptive adverbs

Worksheet 1

Worksheet 2

Worksheet 3

Education and study
Yes / no questions and
short answers
Adjectives: feelings and
emotions

Hobbies and leisure
Adjectives ending -ing and -ed
Question tags and question
words

Health and fitness
Agreeing / disagreeing
(So do I, Neither have I etc.)
Health and fitness
vocabulary

Food and drink
Parts of speech
Phrasal verbs

Work
Work vocabulary
Linking words

The natural world
Natural world vocabulary
Present perfect simple and
present perfect continuous

Part 3 p84
Multiple matching
5 questions / 5 marks

Shopping and fashion
Shopping and fashion
vocabulary
Past forms

Places and buildings
Buildings vocabulary
used to and be / get used to

Travel and holidays
Adjectives: feelings and
emotions
Air travel vocabulary

Part 4 p90
3-option multiple choice
7 questions / 7 marks

Cultures and customs
Cultures and customs
vocabulary
Descriptive adverbs

The environment
Environment vocabulary
Phrasal verbs

Sport
Sport vocabulary
too and enough

Worksheet 2

Worksheet 3

Part 2 p60
Writing an article,
a letter or email,
a review, a report
or a story
1 question from
a choice of 4
20 marks

Paper 3: Listening
40 minutes
Part 1 p72
3-option multiple choice
8 questions / 8 marks

Part 2 p78
Sentence completion
10 questions / 10 marks

Paper 4: Speaking Worksheet 1
14 minutes
Part 1 p96
Examiner interviews
candidates / 2 minutes

Family and friends
be like, look like, like,
and alike
Asking for clarification
and repetition

Hobbies and leisure
Giving reasons
Linking words: cause and
effect

Education and work
Giving yourself time to think
Expressing plans and hopes
for the future

Part 2 p102
Comparing two
photographs / 4 minutes

Shopping
Comparing photographs
Modals: speculation and
deduction

Hobbies and leisure
Discourse markers
Dealing with difficulties when
speaking

Travel and holidays
Comparing photographs
Describing photographs
with look, seem and appear

Health and fitness
Making suggestions
Asking for other people's
opinions

Family and friends
Giving and clarifying opinions
Making concluding statements
and decisions

Education and study
Agreeing and disagreeing
Giving balanced opinions

Parts 3 and 4 p108
Discussion and decisionmaking task / Further
discussion / 8 minutes

Think about it p114
Answer key p122
© Cambridge University Press and UCLES 2017

MAP OF THE BOOK

5

english.us.org

HOW TO USE THE EXAM BOOSTER
Welcome to the Cambridge English
What is the Exam Booster?
The Exam Booster provides focused exam practice of all parts of the Cambridge English: First (FCE)
and Cambridge English: First (FCE) for Schools exam. Prepare for the exam, ensuring you gain the
confidence, skills and knowledge you need for exam day.
How can I use it?
• Pick and choose the areas you want to practise at any time
• Use alongside a coursebook or on its own
• Download the audio to your computer or device – Go to www.cambridge.org/firstbooster
How is it structured?
The Exam Booster contains 16 sections which follow the order of the exam: Reading and Use of English
Parts 1–7, Writing Parts 1–2, Listening Parts 1–4 and finally Speaking Parts 1–4.

2

PART 4

FIRST LISTENING
The environment

Check exam paper, exam part
and worksheet number at the
top of each section.

Cover a variety of
topics from the exam.
Topics are suitable
for both Cambridge
English: First and
Cambridge English:
First for Schools
preparation.

1

How much do you know about the environment? Complete the quiz with the words at the
bottom of the page to find out. Then discuss the question with a partner.

ENVIRONMENT QUIZ
1 This means not harmful to the
environment. …....…....…....…..…....…...
2 This is the amount of energy
that a person/organisation uses.
…....…....…....…..…....…...
3 This is the word you use to describe the
mixture of gases around the Earth.
.…....…....…....…..…....…...
4 This is when you make a place tidy by
removing things from it.
.…....…....…....…..…....…...
5 This is a basic substance that is used in or
produced by chemistry.
.…....…....…....…..…....…...
6 This word means to be likely to cause
harm or damage to something or
someone. …....…....…....…..…....…...
7 This is the increase in world
temperatures caused by polluting gas.
.…....…....…....…..…....…...

een' are
How 'gr
at could
you? Wh
re
to be mo
you do
entally
environm
friendly?

8 This word means not using chemical products
when growing plants for food. …....…....…....…..…....…...

environmentally friendly

carbon footprint

global warming

92

FIRST LISTENING | PART 4 | 2

threaten
chemical

atmosphere
organic

clean up

© Cambridge University Press and UCLES 2017

Exam task
3

Go to www.cambridge.org/
firstbooster to download
the audio to your computer
or device.

Track 1 You will hear people talking in eight different situations. For questions 1–8, choose
the best answer (A, B or C).

1. You hear a woman telling her son about her
favourite schoolteacher.
What did the woman like about her history teacher?

How does the girl's brother feel about starting
university?
A anxious about meeting new people

B his sense of humour

B worried about managing the workload

C his passion for the subject
2. You hear a girl talking about maths.
What does the girl enjoy most about maths?

C concerned about his abilities in his subject
6. You hear a student talking to his teacher about
an assignment.

A getting clear answers

The boy says that he feels

B applying it to everyday life

A uneasy about having to write about an
unfamiliar topic.

C solving difficult questions
3. You hear a man telling a friend about being
unable to study art at school.
He says that he would have liked to study art in
order to

B unsure about how to carry out some research.
C doubtful about which writing style to use.
7. You hear a science teacher talking to her class.
What is she doing?

A know more about art history.

A cancelling an activity / a plan

B learn some techniques.

B changing an arrangement

C follow a career in art.

C correcting some information

4. You hear two students discussing a sports
class they have just attended.

8. You hear two friends discussing learning foreign
languages.

What do they agree on about the class?

They both hold the opinion that

A how relevant the information was for them

A communication does not rely on speaking a
language.

B how knowledgeable the teacher was
C how inspiring the new ideas were

Find exam tasks easily.
There are three worksheets
for each exam part.

5. You hear a girl telling a friend about her brother.

A his acting skills

Exam facts offer clear,
concise information about
the exercise type and
number of questions.

B it's possible to learn about culture through
language.
C learning languages is essential for travel.

Exam facts
•

In this part, you listen to eight short recordings of one or two people speaking.

•

There is a multiple-choice question for each recording.

•

You have to choose the correct answer (A, B or C) for the questions.

© Cambridge University Press and UCLES 2015

© Cambridge University Press and UCLES 2017

6

HOW TO USE THE EXAM BOOSTER

FIRST LISTENING | PART 1 | 1

73

© Cambridge University Press and UCLES 2017

english.us.org

What other features are there?
3a

Choose the verb that does NOT make a correct collocation with each noun.
1. make / sit / take / do an exam
2. take / enrol on / apply / do a course

Practise vocabulary, grammar or functional language tested
in the exam using the additional tasks on the worksheet.

3. obtain / get / have / study a qualification
4. attend / leave / miss / pass school
5. drop / study / obtain / fail a subject
6. go into / graduate from / drop out of / apply to university
7. attend / take / skip / set a class
8. make / set / do / hand in homework

3b

Complete the questions with an appropriate verb from exercise 3a. Then ask and answer the
questions with a partner.
1. When was the last time you

an exam? Did you pass?

2. Do you usually

your homework on time?

3. Have you ever

a course in a language other than English? If not, would you like to?

4. From what age do children
?

school in your country? At what age can they

Exam tips

Exam tips provide practical strategies and advice on how to
approach the task.

•

Look at what comes before and after each gap and decide what kind of word you need to write –
for example a pronoun, verb, preposition, etc.

•

You must only write one word in each gap.

•

When you have finished, read through the whole text again to make sure it makes sense.

FIRST READING AND USE OF ENGLISH | PART 2 | 2

© Cambridge University Press and UCLES 2017

21

Exam task
3

Track 18 Here are some photographs of people on holiday. Talk about them with a partner.
Answer the questions.

Student A, here are some photographs (1 and 2) of families having different kinds of holidays.
Why might these families have chosen these different holidays?
Photograph 1

Photograph 2

Avoid the most typical
mistakes that candidates
make with Get it right! Identify
and correct common errors
made by real Cambridge
English: First and Cambridge
English: First for Schools
exam candidates.

Student B, which of these holidays would you prefer? Why?
Student B, here are some photographs (3 and 4) of people sightseeing in different ways.
What do you think the people enjoy about sightseeing in these ways?
Photograph 3

Photograph 4

Student A, do you enjoy guided tours? Why? / Why not?

Get it right!
Look at the sentence below. Then try to correct the mistake.
She looks as a shy young girl.
Go to https://www.youtube.com/user/cambridgeenglishtv to watch official Cambridge English videos of
First and First for Schools Speaking tests.

FIRST SPEAKING | PART 2 | 3

© Cambridge University Press and
2017UCLES 2017

Think about it

First Reading and Use of English Part 7

Read the text about First Reading and Use of English Part 7. Are they TRUE or FALSE?
Part 7 is the final part of the Reading and Use of English paper and consists of one long text with several
paragraphs, or up to six shorter texts. It is preceded by ten questions. Candidates are required to locate the
specific information which matches the questions. To do this, they need to understand detail, attitude or opinion
in the question and locate a section of text where that idea is expressed, discounting ideas in other sections
which may appear similar but which do not reflect the whole of the question accurately. Some of the options may
be correct for more than one question.

107

1. There may be six short texts in this part of the test. ..............................
2. There may be one text in this part containing up to six paragraphs. ..............................
3. You need to understand what the writer of the text thinks to do this task well. ..............................
4. There is only one question for each text in this part of the test. ..............................
5. There are between six and ten questions in this part of the reading exam. ..............................
6. Some parts of the text may contain words, information or ideas that look like the answer to the question but say
something a little different. ..............................
7. The questions are positioned before the text on the paper. ..............................

Use Think about it sections to check you understand what
you need to do for each part of the exam – great either
before or after attempting an exercise.

8. This is the last part of the Reading and Use of English paper. ..............................

Think about it

First Writing Part 1

Complete the sentences about First Writing Part 1 with the correct alternatives.
1. In Part 1, you have to write a story / an essay about a particular topic.
2. The task gives two / three points you must discuss in your essay.
3. You must / don't have to add your own ideas as well.
4. You should write between 140 and 160 / 190 words.
5. It is / isn't important to write the correct number of words, or you may get a lower mark.
6. You should / mustn't discuss different opinions and points of view on the topic.
7. Your essay should be organised into clear paragraphs / numbered sections.
8. Your essay should end with a conclusion / a conclusion and your opinion.

AnswER kEy

© Cambridge University Press and UCLES 2017

Reading and Use of English Part 1:1
1a 1 on
5 about

2 in
6 with

3 by
7 to
4 addicted to
5 got into

1b 1 keen on
2 brilliant at
3 excited about
2 1 spectators
4 exhibition
7 plots
3 1 C
5 C

4 into
8 at

2 part
5 giving
8 sociable
2 A
6 A

4 B
8 B

Reading and Use of English Part 1:2
1 1 among
4 back
7 through
2 1 travel
4 luggage
7 voyage

2 around
5 along
8 within

3 beneath
6 beyond

2 outlook
5 fee
8 programmed

3 embarked
6 cabin

2 C
6 B

3 A
7 D

4 D
8 A

Reading and Use of English Part 1:3
1 1 go
5 hit

2 take
6 do

2a 1 playing
4 going
7 entering

3 keeping
7 beat

4 plays
8 develop
3 to take up
6 to join

2 doing
5 to win
8 to lose

2b Students' own answers.
3 1 B
5 C

2 A
6 B

3 D
7 A

4 B
8 D

Get it right!
When I was at primary school, I enjoyed playing
basketball.

Reading and Use of English Part 2:1
1 1 an
5 few
2 1 least
4 is
7 neither
3a 1 c
5 c

2 every
6 much

3 all
7 the

2 get / become
5 to
8 Whatever
2 b
6 b

3 c
7 a

4 Those
8 that
3 of
6 out
4 a
8 b

3b 1 There aren't many days when I don't (Student's
own answers)
2 By the time I was ten, there weren't many (Student's
own answers) which / that I hadn't tried.

122

Answer key

1 1 As long as
2 Although
3 as well as
4 in order to

5 Despite
6 owing to
7 therefore
8 Whereas

2 1 which
2 with
3 Although / Though / While / Whilst
4 what
5 any
6 take
7 such
3a 1 make
5 obtain

2 apply
6 go into

3b 1 took / sat / did
2 hand in / do

3 study
7 set

8 be
4 pass
8 make

3 taken / enrolled on / done
4 attend; leave

Reading and Use of English Part 2:3
1a 1 myself
1b 1 our

3 Student's own answers.
4 1 B
5 C

117

Reading and Use of English Part 2:2

3 took
6 moving

3 D
7 C

THINK ABOUT IT

3 A sports person who / that I admire is (Student's
own answers)
4 (Student's own answers) is a country which /
that / where I would like to visit.

2 mine
2 each

3 My
3 ours

4 me
4 themselves

2 1 without
2 though / if / when
3 because
4 another

5 for
6 no / little
7 who
8 same

3a 1 gets on with
2 get together
3 bring up
4 take after

5 broke up
6 count on
7 fell out
8 look up to

3b 1 get on with
2 take after
3 get together

4 fallen out
5 look up to

Get it right!
Some of my other friends phoned and wrote to me.
We didn't use to have our own toys – we used to share
them with each other.

Access a complete Answer
key with sample answers
for the writing tasks and
Audioscript.

Reading and Use of English Part 3:1
1 1 successful
2 challenging
3 scientific
4 predictable

5 logical
6 accessible
7 convinced
8 mysterious

2 1 strengthen
2 proof
3 impressive
4 safety

5 effective
6 productive
7 accuracy
8 succeed

3 1 sensitive
2 investigations
3 significant
4 considerably

5 possibility
6 comfortable
7 dependent
8 unrealistic

4 Students' own answers.

© Cambridge University Press and UCLES 2017

© Cambridge University Press and UCLES 2017

HOW TO USE THE EXAM BOOSTER

7

english.us.org

Exam overview

Reading and Use of English

Paper 1: Reading and Use of English

1 hour 15 mins

Part Number of Number of Task type
questions marks

Task format

1

8

8

Multiple-choice
cloze

A text in which there are eight missing words or
phrases. Candidates have to choose the correct
option (A, B, C or D) to fill each gap.

2

8

8

Open cloze

A text in which there are eight missing words.
Candidates have to think of the correct word to
fill each gap.

3

8

8

Word formation

A text in which there are eight gaps. Candidates
have to change a prompt word to form the
correct missing word that fills each gap.

4

6

12

Key word
transformation

Six pairs of sentences. Candidates have to
complete the second sentence in each pair,
using a given key word, so that it has the same
meaning as the first sentence.

5

6

12

Multiple choice

A text with six multiple-choice questions.
Candidates have to decide which option (A, B, C
or D) is the correct answer to each question.

6

6

12

Gapped text

A text in which there are six gaps and a list
of sentences. Candidates have to choose the
correct sentence to fill each gap.

7

10

10

Multiple
matching

A long text or several short texts and ten
statements. For each statement, candidates
have to decide which part of the text contains
the information mentioned.

Total

52

70

Writing

Paper 2: Writing

1 hour 20 mins

Part Number of Number of Task type
questions marks

Task format

1

1

20

An essay

Candidates are given an essay title and two
ideas. They must write an essay of 140–190
words, using the points given and adding an
idea of their own.

2

1 from a
choice of 4

20

An article, a
letter/email, a
review, a report
or a story

Candidates write 140–190 words, answering
the question of their choosing in the way
specified.

Total

2

40

© UCLES 2017

8

Exam overview

© Cambridge University Press and UCLES 2017

english.us.org

Listening

Paper 3: Listening

About 40 mins

Part Number of Number of Task type
questions marks

Task format

1

8

8

Multiple choice

Eight short monologues or conversations.
Candidates have to decide which option (A, B
or C) is the answer to a question about each
recording.

2

10

10

Sentence
completion

A monologue lasting 3–4 minutes. Candidates
have to complete ten sentences with
information from the recording.

3

5

5

Multiple
matching

Five short related monologues. Candidates have
to choose which statement from a list of eight
best matches what each speaker says.

4

7

7

Multiple choice

An interview or discussion between two
speakers of 3–4 minutes. Candidates have to
decide which option (A, B or C) answers each
of the eight questions.

Total

30

30

Paper 4: Speaking
Part Timing
1

About 14 mins

Interaction Task type

2 minutes

Examiner

Interview

The examiner asks the candidates questions
about themselves. They may be asked to talk
about past experiences, present circumstances
and future plans.

Long turn

Each candidate has to talk about and compare
a pair of colour photographs for one minute
without interruption. They also have to answer
a short question about the other candidate's
photographs.

Collaborative
task

The examiner gives the candidates a question and
some written prompts. The candidates discuss
these together for two minutes. The examiner will
then ask them to make a decision together about
the topic they have been discussing.

Discussion

Further discussion between the candidates,
guided by questions from the examiner, about
the same topic as the task in Part 3.

Speaking

Candidate
2

4 minutes

Candidate long
turn

3

4 minutes

Candidate

Candidate
4

4 minutes

Candidate

Task format

Candidate
Total

60 marks
© UCLES 2017

© Cambridge University Press and UCLES 2017

Exam overview

9

english.us.org

The Cambridge English Scale explained

A guide to converting Cambridge English: First and First for
Schools practice test scores to Cambridge English Scale scores
Common European
Framework of
Reference (CEFR)

Cambridge
English
Scale

Cambridge
English: First
and First
for Schools

230

Proficient user

220

C2

210
200

C1

190

Grade A
180

Independent user

Grade B

B2

170

Grade C

160

B1

150

Level B1

140

A2

Basic user

Cambridge English: First and First for Schools 130
are now reporting results
on the Cambridge English Scale. For these exams, candidates
receive an individual score for each of the four skills – reading,
120
writing, listening, speaking – and Use of English. In the live exams,
each of the skills and Use of English are equally weighted, and a
candidate's overall score is calculated by adding
110 all of the individual
scores together and dividing by five (and then rounding to the
nearest whole number). A candidate's grade and CEFR level are
based on their performance across the whole
100test, and there is no
requirement to achieve a minimum score in each paper.
Below
The following tables can be used as guidance
90to help you convert
practice test scores to Cambridge English Scale scores.

A1
A1

Please note that these only apply when using official Cambridge
80
English practice tests.

10

The conversion tables are only intended as a guide for your
readiness to take the exam. Your scores may not always reflect the
results you may achieve in the live exam. They should not be used
to try to predict precise scores in the live exam, but can be a useful
diagnostic tool, indicating areas of relative strength and weakness.
The scores needed on any given test to achieve the scores on the
Cambridge English Scale shown in the tables below will vary due to
a number of factors, so scores close to CEFR boundaries need to be
reviewed carefully. We recommend that this is approximately three
Cambridge English Scale score points above and below the score
needed to achieve the level, e.g. 157–163 for Level B2. Students
who achieve only slightly higher than the Cambridge English Scale
score for a given level on a practice test may not achieve that level
in the live exam, and we recommend that they continue working to
improve so that they reach the desired level.

Converting Cambridge English: First and First for Schools
practice test scores to Cambridge English Scale scores

english.us.org

Reading
The Reading section consists of Parts 1, 5, 6 and 7 of the Reading
and Use of English paper. Correct answers in Parts 1 and 7 are worth
1 mark each. Correct answers in Parts 5 and 6 are worth 2 marks
each. There are 42 possible marks in the Reading section.

Practice test score

Cambridge English
Scale score

37
24
16
10

180
160
140
122*

CEFR Level
Level C1
Level B2
Level B1
-

*minimum score reported for First

Use of English
The Use of English section consists of Parts 2, 3 and 4 of the
Reading and Use of English paper. Correct answers in Parts 2 and 3
are worth 1 mark each. In Part 4, answers which are partly correct
receive 1 mark and answers which are completely correct receive 2
marks. There are 28 possible marks in the Use of English section.

Practice test score

Cambridge English
Scale score

24
18
11
7

180
160
140
122*

CEFR Level
Level C1
Level B2
Level B1
-

*minimum score reported for First

Writing
Candidates' answers in the Writing paper are marked by trained
examiners who are certificated to mark at the level. Answers are
marked using assessment scales which are linked to the Common
European Framework of Reference. 0–5 marks are given for each
of the following criteria: Content; Communicative Achievement;
Organisation; and Language. Whole marks only are awarded; there
are no half marks given. Marks for each of the criteria are combined
to give 20 possible marks for each question. There are 40 possible
marks for the whole paper.

Listening
Correct answers in the Listening paper are worth 1 mark each.
There are 30 possible marks in the Listening paper.

Practice test score

Cambridge English
Scale score

34
24
16
10

180
160
140
122*

CEFR Level
Level C1
Level B2
Level B1
-

*minimum score reported for First

Practice test score

Cambridge English
Scale score
180
160
140
122*

CEFR Level

Practice test score

Cambridge English
Scale score

CEFR Level

54
36
24
14

180
160
140
122*

27
18
12
8

Level C1
Level B2
Level B1
-

*minimum score reported for First

Speaking
Candidates take the test in pairs, but are assessed on their individual
performance by trained examiners certificated to examine at the
level. Candidate speaking performances are assessed using scales
which are linked to the Common European Framework of Reference.
The assessor gives 0–5 marks for each of the following criteria:
Grammar and Vocabulary; Discourse Management; Pronunciation;
and Interactive Communication. Marks for each of these criteria
are doubled. The interlocutor gives a mark of 0–5 for Global
Achievement. This mark is then multiplied by four. Examiners may
award half marks. Marks for all criteria are then combined, meaning
there are 60 marks available in the Speaking test.

Level C1
Level B2
Level B1
-

*minimum score reported for First

Converting Cambridge English: First and First for Schools
practice test scores to Cambridge English Scale scores

11

english.us.org

PART 1

FIRST READING AND USE OF ENGLISH

1

Hobbies and leisure
1a

Complete the sentences with the correct word from the box.
about

at

by

1. I'm not very keen
2. I'm interested

in

into

on

with

science fiction films, but the rest of my family loves them.
taking up scuba diving, but it's an expensive hobby.

3. My father has always been fascinated

architecture and loves visiting old castles.

4. I used to prefer rock and folk music, but I've really got
5. John is very excited
6. Maria is quite pleased
8. Antonia is brilliant

jazz recently.

starting tennis lessons next week.
her daughter's progress in her ballet class.

7. Some people can become addicted

1b

to

playing computer games.

cooking; I wish I could do it as well as her!

Complete the sentences with the correct preposition and your own ideas.
1. I'm very keen
2. My best friend is brilliant
3. I'm really excited
4. Many people are addicted
5. Lately, I've really got

2

Choose the correct alternative to complete the sentences.
1. The viewers / spectators in the stadium cheered for their team.
2. Jacob decided to take place / part in a cooking competition.
3. Rachel took / set up painting because she wanted to make better use of her free time.
4. I really enjoyed the demonstration / exhibition of eighteenth-century art at the city gallery.
5. My favourite singer is giving / running a concert in my home town and I hope to see her.
6. I go to the cinema regularly and like to see moving / thrilling films that are very emotional.
7. Elena enjoys reading detective stories with complicated but interesting schemes / plots.
8. He is a very sociable / sensible person who loves meeting new people in his free time.

12

FIRST READING AND USE OF ENGLISH | PART 1 | 1

© Cambridge University Press and UCLES 2017

english.us.org

Exam task
3

For questions 1–8, read the text below and decide which
answer (A, B, C or D) best fits each gap. There is an example
at the beginning (0).
Example:
0 A taste     B appeal     C interest     D attraction
Example answer: B
Th...